Plus One

Dreaming with A Broken Heart

Ethan knew his demons. He had routinely invited them over for dinner, especially in May. He had promised his mother last year that he would never leave Portland in May, which was the only reason why he was still there. But that didn't mean he couldn't have his fun. The past three weeks he perused various dive bars in hopes of angering the locals and getting his ass handed to him.

He wanted to hurt on the outside as much as he hurt on the inside. It sucked being so known throughout the state. No one would touch him regardless of being baited. It was now Memorial Day and he was drunk and feeling way too much. He dialed the one number he knew he shouldn't and pressed his phone to his ear. "You know what I want. Get here in ten." He hung up the phone and laid back on the couch.

He stared off into space thinking about his dead brother and what his life would have looked like had he still been alive. A picture of Anna smiling her big smile flashed in his mind and he physically shook his head. He didn't want to think about her. He wanted to wallow. He wanted to drown in his self-hate.

The doorbell rung and he got up to swing the door open. He pulled her in and crashed his lips on hers before the door even closed. "EJ!" Tiffany smiled pulling back. "Don't talk. Go in there and get on all fours." She knew the beast was back and smiled. She practically skipped to his bedroom and stripped down to nothing as she assumed the position.

Ethan took off his sweatpants and grabbed a condom from his dresser. He rolled it on and without warning slammed into her. She cried out, but he didn't care. He needed to do something that would wreck him. He needed to do something that would destroy him ever getting the happiness his brother deserved. Ethan grabbed on to her boney hips and curled his lip. He missed fleshy dark skin and hips that were full and pronounced. He imagined her plump ass and smiled as he smacked it, but the moan he heard wasn't hers. He was brought back to reality.

Anna saw that his door was open and knew something was wrong. She stepped in cautiously in case he was being robbed, but saw nothing. As she got further in the sounds she heard chilled her. She almost wished he was being robbed as she followed the sounds to his bedroom. Anna's mind told her to look away from where she stood in the doorway, but her heart said she needed to imprint this to memory to ensure she never loved someone like Ethan Crane again. He was right there in front of her having sex with his ex-fiancé. A woman he promised he'd never go back to.

Ethan kept his eyes close trying to make himself cum, but nothing was working. It was all wrong. This whole thing was wrong. He opened his eyes to see Tiffany looking at something with a huge smirk on her face and followed her gaze. His eyes came in contact with big brown ones that were always filled with hope and happiness. They were broken now. "Can I talk to you?" Her voice was steady and strong. It wasn't what he was expecting. Ethan pulled out of Tiffany before pulling on his sweatpants. "Are you kidding me?" Tiffany protested, but Ethan gave her a look that shut her up immediately.

Anna stood by the front door waiting and breathing. She knew she'd have time to breakdown, but she wouldn't do that in front of him. He didn't deserve to see the power he held over her. He walked up to her and his face was emotionless. Anna almost felt jarred to see him this way. "What are you doing, Ethan?" It was an honest question but he still quirked his head. "What does it look like? I'm fucking my ex."

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to remember all of Tasha's meditation crap. "So, you're done with me? With us?" He looked at her seriously and Anna got a quick glimpse to the storm within. "I told you I was no good. You deserve better." Anna pulled his face into her hands shocking him. "I told you I love you and I meant it. You're doing this self-sabotaging crap and it's wrecking you. This isn't who you are!"

Ethan roughly pulled her hands away. "You don't know who the fuck I am! I don't need you coming here trying to save me. I don't need nor want to be saved. I'm a murderer and that's just for starters. Your perfect little ass could never handle me or satisfy me for that matter. I lied before. You are just like every other girl and I'm done with you, so get the fuck out."

A loud slap could be heard throughout the penthouse. Ethan's skin turned red from where Anna slapped his cheek. "I know you better than anyone ever will and that scares you. The thought that someone could love you despite the amount of hatred you carry for yourself kills you. I loved you, Ethan, but now all I feel is pity and sadness. Pity that you're wasting a blessed life and sadness that Ezra had to die for a coward."

Anna didn't even give him a chance to reply. She was out the door in seconds. Ethan stood there staring at the door. "That was intense." Tiffany purred as she walked up to him naked as the day she was born."Get dressed and get out." She pouted dramatically. "EJ not this again. I know you want me and now that you're done with that Black bitch, we can be together." Ethan wrapped his hand around her throat and squeezed.

"Don't ever talk about her. Get dressed and get the fuck out!" He shoved her roughly before heading to his bathroom. Ethan had never scrubbed himself so hard in his life.The replaying of him having sex with Tiffany coupled with Anna's words were too much. He wanted to feel numb not the opposite.

When he got out of the shower Tiffany was long gone and he was glad. He looked over his destroyed penthouse and sighed. He chugged a bottle of liquor and passed out on the couch not ready to deal with the severity of his situation.